WEBVTT AMY RICHARDSON, FARMER, "I AM A FARMER BECAUSE I CHOSE TO BE." AMY RICHARDSON WAS ONE OF SEVERAL VERMONT FARMERS WHO TESTIFIED BEFORE THREE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES...O N CLIMATE CHANGE. 13:37-13:50 SOT: AMY RICHARDSON, FARMER, "IN GENERAL, ALL FARMERS IN VERMONT HAVE THE SAME GOALS: TO MANAGE OUR LANDSCAPES AND WATERWAYS SUSTAINABLY FOR THE ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENTAL AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS OF OURSELVES AND OF ALL OTHER VERMONTERS." FARMERS ACROSS THE STATE SHARED HOW THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH SOIL SCIENTISTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT TO COMBAT CARBON EMISSIONS AND PHOSPHORUS RUN-OFF WITH THINGS LIKE COVER- CROPPING. NOW THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO TRACK AND MEASURE WHAT'S WORKING, AND WHAT'S NOT. 40;52-41:03 SOT: HEATHER DARBY, UVM EXTENSION, " WHAT WE WANT AND WHAT FARMERS WANT IS TO BE ABLE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THROUGH TECHNOLOGY IF ALL THE PRACTICES THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING ON OUR FARMS IF THEY'RE DOING A GOOD JOB." HOW MUCH THE TECHNOLOGY COULD COST IS STILL UNCLEAR, BUT SENATOR ROBERT STARR SUPPORTS THEIR REQUEST. 34:03-34:27 SOT: SEN. ROBERT STARR, AGRICULTURE CHAIR ESSEX- ORLEANS, "WE SHOULD HELP FINANCE THOSE TECHNOLOGIES. WE SHOULD HELP PAY FOR THEM, YOU KNOW, WE THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE, SO THAT THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE-THEY'RE PAYING TAXES- COULD HAVE A VERIFICATION AS WELL AS THE FARMERS OF HAVING THAT KNOWLEDGE THAT WHAT THEY'RE SPENDING IS ACTUALLY PAYING OFF." THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THESE FARMERS WANT, SO THEY CAN PRESERVE THEIR FARMS - AND THE PLANET - FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. 19:32-19:44 SOT: SCOTT MAGNAN, FRANKLIN & GRAND ISLE FARMER'S WATERSHED ALLIANCE, "I WANT TO BE ABLE TO TELL MY ONE YEAR-OLD SON, TANNER, HE MIGHT HAVE A CHANCE TO FOLLOW HIS DAD'S, GRANDFATHER'S AND GREAT- GRANDFATHERS FOOTSTEPS." IN MONTPELIER, RENEE WUNDERLICH, NBC 5 NEWS. NOW FIRST ALERT WEATHER WITH CHIEF METEOROLOGIST TOM MESSNER ECHO CAM SUPER MUST RUN IF ECHO CAM IS TAKEN WARM AIR ADVECTION AND MO

Amy Richardson was one of several Vermont farmers who testified before three legislative committees on what they're doing about climate change."I am a farmer because I chose to be," Richardson said. "In general, all farmers in Vermont have the same goals: to manage our landscapes and waterways sustainably for the economic environmental and community benefits of ourselves and of all other Vermonters."Farmers across the state shared how they've been working with soil scientists at the University of Vermont to combat carbon emissions and phosphorus runoff with things like cover-cropping.Now they want to be able to track and measure what's working, and what's not."What we want and what farmers want is to be able to better understand through technology if all the practices that we're implementing on our farms if they're doing a good job," said Heather Darby, an agronomy specialist at UVM Extension.How much the technology could cost is still unclear, but Sen. Robert Starr, D-Essex-Orleans, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, supports their request."We should help finance those technologies. We should help pay for them, you know, we the people of the state, so that the people of the state -- they're paying taxes -- could have a verification as well as the farmers of having that knowledge that what they're spending is actually paying off," Starr said.That's exactly what these farmers want, so they can preserve their farms -- and the planet -- for the next generation."I want to be able to tell my 1-year-old son, Tanner, he might have a chance to follow his dad's, grandfather's and great-grandfathers footsteps," said Scott Magnan, with the Franklin & Grand Isle Farmer's Watershed Alliance.

MONTPELIER, Vt. —

Amy Richardson was one of several Vermont farmers who testified before three legislative committees on what they're doing about climate change.

"I am a farmer because I chose to be," Richardson said. "In general, all farmers in Vermont have the same goals: to manage our landscapes and waterways sustainably for the economic environmental and community benefits of ourselves and of all other Vermonters."

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Farmers across the state shared how they've been working with soil scientists at the University of Vermont to combat carbon emissions and phosphorus runoff with things like cover-cropping.

Now they want to be able to track and measure what's working, and what's not.

"What we want and what farmers want is to be able to better understand through technology if all the practices that we're implementing on our farms if they're doing a good job," said Heather Darby, an agronomy specialist at UVM Extension.

How much the technology could cost is still unclear, but Sen. Robert Starr, D-Essex-Orleans, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, supports their request.

"We should help finance those technologies. We should help pay for them, you know, we the people of the state, so that the people of the state -- they're paying taxes -- could have a verification as well as the farmers of having that knowledge that what they're spending is actually paying off," Starr said.

That's exactly what these farmers want, so they can preserve their farms -- and the planet -- for the next generation.

"I want to be able to tell my 1-year-old son, Tanner, he might have a chance to follow his dad's, grandfather's and great-grandfathers footsteps," said Scott Magnan, with the Franklin & Grand Isle Farmer's Watershed Alliance.